The Wairarapa Daily. TUESDAY, MARCH 23, 1880.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 2, Issue 421, 23 March 1880, Page 2

The Wairarapa Daily. TUESDAY, MARCH 23, 1880.

Yesterday niovning we took a box seat with "Hik" for the purpose of seeing how our neighbors were faring under the baptism of flood to which they are being subjected. The early coach, driven by Shaw, had succeeded in reaching leatherston, and we were in hopes, of being able to follow its lead, tTill wo reached the Waingawa we saw nothing of the ravages of the. elements, but here the signs of destruction were apparent on all sides. At the Taratahi side of the bridge the river was washing at the back of the protective works, doing- mischief, slowly but surely; Under the bridge was a pile, with iron shoe projecting, A glance at I the railway bridge up stream showed a missing pier which had been washed out by the current. Beyond the bridge the stream had made a cut across the road and it needed a cool and careful whip to take a coach through it. It is ! unnecessary to say that Hik navigated the passage through it successfully, and from this point it was plain sailing down to the Black Bridge. A temporary barrier was put across the latter bridge as a warning to travellers. The river having cut away one pier entirely, one span rested upon a single upright post strongly suggestive of a collapse, Jt was decided, however, that the bridge should be crossed, and the coach managed to get over it in safety, the passengers alighting and following it on foot. A mile further- on wo came to the platform at the entrance to Greytown, and ..were there met by Mr Macara's groom on a tall horse, who infortoed us that we could not go any further. The flood beyond, he said, was deep and rapid, boulders and logs were rolling down it, and though a horseman might-get through it, a coach would stand'but: a poor chance, The man reported that at Featherston no train was coming in or going out, and that at Greytown the flood was tolerably high. The water, he said, was on a level with the verandah floor of the Rising Sun, and three feet deep in. Macara's stables opposite. If such be the case there was a greater amount of water in Greytown than on any previous occasion, and scores of houses must have been taken possession of bodily by the flood. The mails were handed over to the groom to be taken into Greytown, and the coach had to turn round and come back to Masterton. One or two passengers who had particular engagements in Wellington murmured at their disappointment, but had to submit to the inevitabLe If they had reached Greytown without getting drowned, they would probably -have been barred at Tauherenikau, and would certainly have beeu blocked at Featherston. -Yesterday the Waiohine was rising;also the Waingawa. ...Till both rivers fall; traffic must be more or less suspended with the south. Northward the. way is also barred by the

Waipoua . and. .by the Ruamahunga, nie;ht the )Waipoua rose agaitiaiid. has the town, A high wind; ; ibis morning-is,, change in the \ i;\ ■^■f^l

Loyal Mastettonhotlge, M.U,,L0.0.F. meets this evening, : , : . .;. ~■..,,.,-..

The Wellington Hospital consumes 60 quarts of milk, costing £i,'per day.

To-morrow evening the .Masterton Horticultural Society hold a special meeting- " ■'" ;■-. •;;" ■;■' The Thistle Lodge.-S.O.',' holds an emergency meeting to-morrow evening. The San Francisco mail closes at Masterton on Saturday next, at 10.45 a.m,

Tenders close to-morrow for leasing the publicsms' and refreshment booths at the Oddfellows'sports, Carterton, on Easter Monday.

The debris of the Tay Bridge is being removed by dynamite, and steps are about to be taken to rebuild the bridge, '■"

Rumor hasit that a combined team from the Wellington and Wanderer Clubs have challenged Greytown to a'cricket match on Saturday and Easter Monday. Mr Shaw, coachman, started at 6 o'clock this morning from Featherston, with the mails from that- township, and arrived here safe at about 8.30.

We received at 9 a,m. this morning the following telegram from Mr J. Stevenson, station-master at Featherston ;-Traffio on the line is suspended until further notice, in consequence of slips, etc,

On Thursday last atOamaru apedestrain named Brooks succeeded in walking 120 miles in 23 hours, 48 minutes. We believe this is the best time for long .distance walking yet heard of in the Colonies,

Mr R. A, Proctor, the celebrated astronomer who has been lecturing to orowded houses in Canada and the United States, will leave San Francisco for Auckland on or about April 12th. .

A tea-meeting in connection with the Wesleyau Church will be held on Good Friday, 26th inst, After tea, a public meeting will be held, to be addressed by ministers and friends.

A Wellington journal says that the unfortunate man Grant, alias Dewar, who was recently murdered in Dunedin, was formerly in the employ of Mr Jameß Gear, of this city and used to ride about Wellington daily for orders. The. Post says : :—The'' girl'" Caroline Goodin, committed for' trial oh a charge of setting her father's house on fire at Carterton, was brought down and lodged in gaol at Wellington on Tuesday last. She will be tried at the Criminal Sessions of the Supreme Court next month.

Mr Arthur Sketchley, : well known at the author of" The Brown Papers "■.&&, and who is now leoturing through 'New Zealand, has just published a new worl entitled "Mrs Brown in New Zealand."

It is notified in another column that Mr Fred. W. Hales is appointed creditors' trustee in the estate of Henry Thompson, contractor. ; .

The Ruamahanga river rose from five to six feet yesterday, and last evening was only about 18 inches from the floor of the bridge. The water on this side is some two feet deep close to the bridge itself,

On examining our letter box this morning, we received the following peculiar epistle:-" SiR,-Kan you tell me where ouv inspecktor of nuisances was yesterday, as he ought to hav ben to see the flood from the Waipo river, and to have given the Clerk 0 of the weather) noti.3 to stop the nuisance, He also shud have reported the matter to Council." [Here follows the writer's name, but the signature is very illegible..' It looks like " S.' Swithin," and we. suppose our correspondent means the saint of that name,] A new forage plant has been introduced, into New Zealand.vlt is called the teosinte plant, and was sent by Sir Julius Vogel to Mr Murdoch, of the Bank of New Zealand, Auckland. The plant has -been recently brought from Egypt, where, when it is mowed down,' it grows again at the rate of a foot in four' days. It is alleged to be rich in saccharine mate, and highly nutritious,' It is a grass of. gigantic size, growing in enormous | bunches. It is a recommendation to those who intend to grow it in New Zealand that it should be started in pots, and after all danger of frosts is over, planted out,

A certain man got mad at the editor and stopped his paper. The next week he sold all his com at four 'cents below the market price; then his property was sold for taxes because he didn't read the sheriff's sales; he lost 10 dollars betting on Mollie McCarthy ten days after Ten Broeck had won the race; he was arrested and fined 8 dollars for going hunting on Sunday, simply because he didn't know it was Sunday, and he paid 300 dollars for a lot of forged notes th.at.Md .been advertised two weeks and the publio cautioned not to negotiate them! He then paid a big Irishman with a foot like a derrick to kick him all the way to the newspaper office, where he paid four years' subscription in advance, and made the editor sign an agreement to.knock him down and rob him if he ever ordered his paper stopped 1 again, •

Edwin Charles, who will be remembered by our Greytown readera.as a oarpenter amongst them about two years ago, has received, in an action in the DistriotOourt, held at Palmeraton North, on March 15th last, damages of LIOO against the Rangitikei Jockey Club. The following, which we clip, from the local journal, gives further particulars :—An interesting case was tried at the last sittings of the Palmerston North District Court, This was an action brought by Mr Edwin Charles, a carpenter, against the stewards of the Marton and Rangitikei Jockey Club, for permitting a dangerous game ou the Bulls Course, at the last race meeting on the Ist January, The dangerous game alluded to was shooting in a rifle gallery. The plaintiffs case was that he was walking in the rear of the gallery, when he was struck by a bullet in the thigh, and from the injuries received had been incapacitated from attending to his business ever since, besides being put to great expense for doctors' bills. Mr Pitzherbert, who appeared for defendants, contended that they were not liable, as they had not given permission to the proprietor of the gallery to be: on the ground. Some technical points were also raised. Several witnesses were examined on both sides, and counsel addressed, the Court at considerable length. The jury, after half an hour's .deliberation, returned a verdict for the plaintiff, damages.LlOO. Mr Pitzherbert gave notice of his intention to appeal. ; .' .